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    Categories: 2017

Azerbaijani Press: Opposition intends to continue rallies

Turan Information Agency, Azerbaijani Opposition
 Saturday


Opposition intends to continue rallies


Baku / 23.09.17 / Turan: "There is no corruption, freedom for
political prisoners" is the motto of the Saturday rally of the
opposition. Participants in the opposition rally demanded that the
authorities "return the money stolen from the people". This thought
sounded a refrain in all speeches at the rally. "This corrupt regime,
which tramples our rights for decades, is now caught red-handed. Now
there is evidence of this corruption,"said the leader of the Popular
Front Party of Azerbaijan, Ai Kerimli. Now it's time to return the
people stolen money from him, Kerimli added. "The people do not want
much. The people say that you have plundered billions of the country.
Now at least raise salaries for workers, raise pensions, allowances,
create jobs, cancel paid education. Enough already to plunder the
wealth of the country,"Kerimli continued. He also called for the
release of political prisoners. At the same time, Kerimli pointed out
that in the process of preparing for the rally 53 activists of the
PFPA were detained.

IlhamHuseyn, who was supposed to be the leading rally, was arrested
the day before for 15 days. Other members of the party Emil Salamov,
SagifGurbanov, BahruzHasanli, AgilMaharramov were arrested for the
same terms. "The purpose of these arrests is not to allow rallies to
be protracted. But everyone cannot be arrested,"Kerimli said.
NuraddinMammadli, chairman of the Supreme Majlis of the PFPA, drew
attention to the obstacles created by activists in the regions to put
their participation in the rally. Jamil Hasanli, chairman of the
National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF), accused the authorities
of "corruption and theft".

"This power is used to steal. She stole from the people the right to
free elections, stole national wealth. And finally she stole the
journalist AfganMukhtarly from Tbilisi,"Hasanli said sarcastically. He
focused on the authorities' suppression of media freedom. Hasanli
pointed to the blocking of websites criticizing the government, the
closure of the newspaper Azadlig and finally attempts to eliminate the
agency Turan. "This power is struggling with free media to prevent the
people's voice from reaching the international community," Hasanli
said.He said that the struggle of democratic forces continues, and on
October 7 at 15.00 the next meeting is scheduled. Exactly at 17.00 at
the stadium was turned off electricity and the organizers could not
read the resolution of the action. Participants of the action
periodically chanted the slogans "Resign!", "Freedom!".- 06D--

* * *

2017 September 23 (Saturday) 15:11:05

The protest rally of the National Council of Democratic Forces

Baku / 23.09.17 / Turan: Several thousand people gathered on Saturday
for a protest rally of the National Council of Democratic Forces,
which began at 15:00 at the stadium "Mehsul" in the Yasamal district
of Baku. The rally is held under the slogan "Return the money stolen
from the people!", almost $3 billion, which were illegally exported
from the country under various pretexts in recent years and spent on
bribery and lobbying the interests of the Azerbaijani authorities
abroad. These facts were revealed by the international journalistic
organization Center for the Study of Corruption and Organized Crime
(OCCRP).

In particular, it was alleged that Baku bribed the German politician
Eduard Lintner (former head of the PACE monitoring committee), the
Bulgarian politician Irina Bokova (former UNESCO Director-General) and
Italian politician Luca Bolonte (former vice-president of PACE).

Lintner led the commission of observers from Germany in the
presidential elections in Azerbaijan in 2013, Bokova held the photo
exhibition "Azerbaijan - the space of tolerance" in the same year. In
turn, Bolton received money to prevent the adoption of the resolution
of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on political
prisoners in Azerbaijan, Radio Liberty reports.

The OCCRP argue that most of the funds that the Azerbaijani
authorities brought to the accounts of fictitious British companies
belonged to Azerbaijani banks, including the state-owned International
Bank of Azerbaijan. In addition, the Russian state company
Rosoboronexport transferred $ 29 million to the "front man from
Azerbaijan" in 2012. Two million dollars, presumably, went to bribes,
the rest of the amount, it is claimed, went to the structures
connected with high-ranking officials of Azerbaijan.

However, the Azerbaijani government rejected all these accusations,
saying that they are being spread by the Armenian lobby and
philanthropist and businessman George Soros.

The opposition of Azerbaijan considers the OCCRP report to be real and
objective and requires the government to give explanations. -02D-

Maral Chavushian:
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